Game of Thrones

"Game of Thrones" Battle of Winterfell left fans cheering and complaining -- the latter due to it being too damn dark -- but the cinematographer wants to make it clear ... the gripes aren't his fault.

Fabian Wagner -- who was also the cinematographer on lauded 'Thrones' episodes like "Hardhome" and "Battle of the Bastards" -- tells TMZ, he's aware folks are upset that "The Long Night" looked TOO nightly, and he has an explanation.

First, Fabian believes the pixelation and muddy dark colors fans saw on their TVs and mobile devices are due to HBO's compression of the episode ... which leads to poorer visual quality. This is made worse if it's being viewed on a streaming service with a weak connection ... or in a room that's too bright.

As Wagner puts it ... "[GoT] has always been very dark and a very cinematic show" and should be watched in a dark environment. Ideally, this means viewing it like you would a movie -- in a dark theater.

Since that's not realistic for 'Thrones,' Fabian suggests making your viewing room at home as dark as possible, avoid watching on your phone or in places that are lit up ... and adjust your TV settings.

The cinematographer also points out ... the showrunners and director wanted the episode to be dark. Wagner says the battle scenes were intended to be intense, claustrophobic and disorienting -- like they would be in real life -- but not confusing.

Fabian says, "We tried to give the viewers and fans a cool episode to watch," and he believes they did, adding ... "I know it wasn't too dark because I shot it."

"Game of Thrones" fans got the battle they've been waiting for with Sunday's "The Long Night" episode, and it had a major impact on the betting world.

(SPOILER ALERT!!!)

If you haven't seen the epic Battle of Winterfell ... last chance to look away, but here's an updated rundown, from the oddsmakers at SportsBetting.ag, heading into the final 3 episodes:

Arya Stark -- currently the 'GoT' G.O.A.T. -- might not get to enjoy her Winterfell triumph for long ... she's jumped to 12/1 odds as the next character to perish, after being 33/1 last week.

She's not the favorite to die next, though -- that title goes to The Mountain at 11/4, followed by Rhaegal the dragon at 4/1, The Hound at 4/1, Grey Worm at 5/1 and Bronn and Euron Greyjoy at 8/1.

Interestingly, Jaime Lannister is 16/1 to die next, after being the fave last week at 5/1.

Cersei Lannister -- who hasn't even been seen in the past 2 episodes -- will be back in action next week and is moving up as one of the favorites to sit on the Iron Throne.

She's gone from 22/1 odds to rule Westeros last week all the way to 9/1. Tyrion's odds have also drastically changed -- he's now a top-3 favorite at 5/1, behind Jon Snow at 3/1 and Sansa Stark at 9/2.

Bran -- who was the favorite to rule the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of the season at 2/1 -- is now 8/1 along with Daenerys Targaryen and Arya.

Other popular bets to make include who, if anyone, will kill Cersei. Jaime's the favorite at 3/2 while Arya is 5/2 and Tyrion is 5/1.

The strangest twist after episode 3, though ... Samwell Tarly is gaining bets for the last character to speak in the season finale. The action suggests there could be a leak from 'GoT' insiders, and he's now the favorite at even money.

And, for those of you who wagered the Night King would survive Winterfell ... we got 2 words for ya.

"Not today."

"Game of Thrones" creator George R.R. Martin is UNLOADING on the New York Giants ... blasting the team for taking relatively unknown Duke QB Daniel Jones.

Martin -- the brain behind 'GoT' -- happens to be a HUGE fan of the New York football teams ... and like so many other G-Men fans, he's distraught over this weekend's draft.

"Daniel Jones from Duke at number six?" Martin wrote on his website ... "Yes, they need a young quarterback to groom as Eli’s successor. But Dwayne Haskins was right there. Why not him?"

Why not Haskins -- OSU's star QB -- is the question a lot of fans are asking.

"By every measurable Haskins is way better than Jones. Jones threw 52 TDs in three years at Duke, Haskins threw 50 in one year at Ohio State. Within fewer interceptions. Against much tougher opposition."

Martin didn't seem to like NY's 2nd 1st-round selection much more ... the pick the Giants got in return -- along with Jabrill Peppers -- for Odell Beckham Jr.

The team picked massive 342-pound DT Dexter Lawrence ... and Martin -- who doesn't hate the player -- added some context.

"All it cost us was a Hall of Fame receiver."

So, what's George's outlook for the upcoming season? Well, it ain't good.

WARNING -- "GAME OF THRONES" SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Okay. This is pretty amazing ... Arian Foster's home security cams were rolling while he was watching "Game of Thrones" on Sunday ... and his reaction to the ending is AMAZING!!!!

Second warning ... here comes a spoiler!!!

The ex-NFL star was watching the Battle of Winterfell on his couch with some friends -- when he jumped up for Bran's final showdown with the Night King.

Third and final warning ... big spoiler coming your way!!!!

So, when Arya came out of nowhere LIKE A BOSS to stab that bitch-ass, ice-faced demon, Foster went crazy!!!!

You gotta watch the video ... Foster lets a scream you can hear -- even though the video has no sound!!!

Arian's buddy starts to dance on the couch ... even the dog gets fired up!

But now, everyone's gotta chill ... Jon Snow, Daenerys, Tyrion, Sansa and the rest of the gang have another battle on their hands next week ...

Cersei is waiting!!!!!

Now that we are half-way through the final season, it's time to go way back to the beginning.

Before these little lords and ladies were battling the White Walkers and setting their sights on the Iron Throne, they were just true-born free folk growing up faster than winter came. Grab your Valyrian steel and burn through this many-faced gallery of cute "Game of Thrones" cast kid pics to see if these fan favorites were raised to be kings, knights, or even a mother of dragons.

The night is dark and full of terrors ... but luckily these young wildlings are guaranteed to brighten up your day!

Pete Wentz is such an extreme "dork" for "Game of Thrones," he's almost apologizing for it, but he's also sharing some DEEP theories about the final season ... including who's next to kick the bucket.

We got Pete outside of Craig's Tuesday night in WeHo and our guy could barely get his question out about 'GoT' when Pete went full Thronee ... nerding out with conspiracy theories that, as he said, go way beyond who's going to end up on the iron throne. You can tell, he's been up and down several Reddit rabbit holes.

Check out the vid ... Pete's got his own ideas about Bran Stark, Melisandre and Grey Worm's fates as the stage is being set up for an epic battle between Westeros and the White Walkers.

"Game of Thrones" is all about winter right now, but the music that's on its way inspired by the hit show's gonna be way more fire than ice ... with some huge stars at the forefront.

TMZ's obtained behind-the-scenes shots of The Weeknd, SZA and Travis Scott on set while shooting the video for their track, "Power is Power." The trio's all decked out in clothes fit for the Seven Kingdoms ... in front of some iconic imagery from the show.

We're told the rappers/singers shot the video last weekend in L.A. Their collab is part of HBO and Columbia Records' release of "For the Throne" ... an upcoming album inspired by 'GoT.'

Other artists set to be featured on the album include A$AP Rocky, The Lumineers, Ellie Goulding, Ty Dolla $ign, Mumford & Sons, The National, X Ambassadors and the late Lil Peep.

Travis and SZA -- who we're told are huge 'Thrones' fans themselves -- have been teasing the vid for a bit ... but now we have another sneak peek.

Jaime Lannister is not long for the final season of "Game of Thrones" -- at least according to Oddsmakers -- but there's still some doubt over who will kill the "Kingslayer."

According to the cyber-gambling site, SportsBetting.ag, Jaime's favored to perish first with 5/1 odds. What a difference 2 weeks make ... Jaime opened the season as a long shot, at 50/1 odds, to die first.

Jaime is also the new favorite to be Arya Stark's first kill of the season, with 2/1 odds. Arya freaked everyone out over the weekend when she ditched her clothes for her first sex scene, but she still hasn't killed anyone yet this season.

Jaime's really gotta watch his back ... in addition to Arya, he's gotta worry about the Night King and the army of the dead descending on Winterfell in the next episode. Oh, and his sister, Cersei Lannister, already hired Ser Bronn to kill him.

It's no wonder Jaime's odds to sit on the Iron Throne keep decreasing ... he's now a long shot at 33/1 after entering the season with 14/1 odds.

Speaking of the Iron Throne ... Daenerys Targaryen now has 5/1 odds to rule Westeros. She had 3/1 odds last week, but (SPOILER ALERT!) Jon Snow just dropped a bombshell and told her he's the rightful heir of House Targaryen.

*WARNING -- GAME OF THRONES SPOILER AHEAD!*

Arya Stark finally got her freak on in "Game of Thrones" Sunday night ... and while a lot of people were shocked to watch the scene unfold, Josh Hart says she deserves her PROPS!!

"Get it how you live, shorty!!"

Remember, the whole point of the scene is Arya thinks she could die in the Battle of Winterfell and she doesn't want to go out as a virgin.

So, she tracks down Gendry (hot guy) and bangs it out. Good times!

The scene was super controversial since nobody knows Arya's age (are there consent laws in Westeros?) ... and people flooded to Wikipedia to make sure the actress, Maisie Williams, is over 18.

Don't worry, she is.

Hart is a hardcore 'Thrones' fan -- so, we asked for his take ... and he seemed PROUD of the youngest Stark girl, supporting her decision to go out and get what she wants.

It wasn't exactly The Red Wedding ... but "Game of Thrones" fans FREAKED OUT Sunday night when Arya Stark ditched her clothes for a sex scene -- going to Wikipedia in droves to check for her age!!

Here's the deal ... the actress who plays Arya is Maisie Williams -- who was 14 YEARS OLD when the series began back in 2011. She's basically grown up before our very eyes.

When the series began, Maisie's character, Arya, is 11 years old ... and since the passage of time is a bit confusing on the show, it's unclear how old she's supposed to be now. But, young.

So, when it was time for Arya to finally get her shwerve on Sunday night -- getting down with Gendry (played by Joe Dempsie) the scene called for some nudity -- nudity 'GoT' fans didn't see coming.

Don't worry ... Maisie is 22 years old in real life.

Williams also spoke about the nude scene -- admitting she thought it was a prank when she first saw the script ... and told the showrunners, "I was like, ‘Yo, good one.’ And [they were] like, ‘No, we haven’t done that this year.'"

Maisie says producers gave her the option to show as much or as little as she wanted -- and what you see in the scene is ultimately what she went with.

Now, the question ... will Arya and Gendry hook up again? Or is Arya a "hit it and quit it" kinda gal??

Fear may cut deeper than swords ... but these fun photos prove that when the camera stops rolling, there is nothing to be afraid of!

"Game of Thrones" is striking down on it's final few episodes and the close-knit cast is remembering all of their favorite behind the scenes moments of the epic series. Whether it's Sansa and Arya reuniting in Season 7, the Lannister siblings paying off their debts in humor in-between takes, or Daenerys' not-so fantastical ride on a green screen dragon just last episode, these crew candids are sure to prepare you for winter.

Jesse McCartney thinks he knows what's going to happen on "Game of Thrones," and no spoiler here ... it all comes down to Jon Snow.

We got the singer and huge 'GoT' fan at LAX and asked him what he thought about the season 8 premiere. Jesse says it was solid for teeing up the final 5 episodes ... but he was a little let down by a lack of certain characters.

Still, McCartney's stoked for what's to come -- like millions of other HBO viewers -- and just like every other Thronee out there ... he's got a prediction.

It's a pretty interesting one, and Jesse makes it clear what he would do if he were Jon ... even though he's more of a Tyrion in real life.

9:54 AM PT -- HBO has responded to Trump's tweet, saying, "Though we can understand the enthusiasm for 'Game of Thrones' now that the final season has arrived, we still prefer our intellectual property not be used for political purposes."

Jon Snow's got nothing on President Trump ... just ask 45, who's using "Game of Thrones" again to celebrate the release of the Mueller Report and what he considers total vindication.

POTUS was on his Twitter game moments after Attorney General William Barr held a news conference to say Mueller found nothing on Trump. The Prez posted a 'GoT' styled meme, stating, "Game Over." He included a pointed jab, "For the haters and the radical left Democrats."

Trump was ripped by HBO when he did this same thing back in November to bark about imposing sanctions on Iran. The cable network was pissed he ripped their font for his "Sanctions are Coming" meme.

It's a good bet, Trump really doesn't give a crap what HBO thinks this morning (or any morning, for that matter) ... he's in victory lap mode.

Fun Fact: "Game over" is also the calling card of Jigsaw from the "Saw" horror movies ... not that we're making any comparisons.

Sophie Turner says fame caused serious problems for her mental health ... and mounting criticism over her role in "Game of Thrones" led her to consider suicide.

In a revealing interview Tuesday on Dr. Phil's podcast, the 23-year-old actress admits she's battled depression for several years ... saying she, "used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger."

While Sophie says she doesn't believe she was actually capable of hurting herself ... she says suicide was "just a weird fascination I used to have."

Sophie, whose rise to fame began at age 14 when she was cast to play Sansa Stark on 'GoT,' says her popularity came at a price ... because negative comments about her character started wreaking havoc on her mental health.

Sophie says she started giving in to her social media bullies, and she started doubting her acting chops and physical appearance. She says her insecurity led to symptoms of depression -- and simple tasks like getting dressed would make her burst into tears.

As a result, she started therapy and treatment ... adding she's on medication and loves herself more than ever now. She credits fiancee Joe Jonas with helping her find happiness.

Marlon Wayans says all the buzz about "Game of Thrones" and its final season is missing one thing -- some brothas in the Brotherhood Without Banners ... or anywhere else in Westeros, for that matter!

We got the comedian at LAX Monday and he admitted he's not down with the 'GoT' craze, partly because he's noticed there's a major lack of black actors. He points out the biggest characters of color on the show aren't even human -- the dragons -- and don't get nearly enough respect.

That's not his only beef with HBO's hit show ... his other issue is all about making the most of his time -- and he's decided to throw it into a different cable sensation.

The 'Thrones' Season 8 premiere Sunday night became the most-watched scripted show of the year so far and shattered HBO's ratings record with 17.4 million viewers across all platforms ... though Marlon wasn't among them.

And, for the record, there have been a handful of black characters on the show ... like Daenerys' right-hand gal Missandei, along with Grey Worm, Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Salladhor Saan.

If you loved the "Game of Thrones" premiere, you're definitely not the bookie who got crushed on 'GoT' prop bets -- and all signs point to bettors taking advantage of the episode accidentally leaking early.

After DirecTV leaked the premiere about 4 hours too soon, gamblers apparently caught on to the fact Tyrion Lannister was the first character to speak in season 8 ... and cashed in big time!!!

The cyber-gambling site, SportsBetting.ag, says it lost in the "low five figures" on the prop bet. The book says Tyrion's odds to speak first dropped from 4/1 to 1/1 in the 48 hours leading up to the premiere.

The bookie tells TMZ ... "We assume that someone with inside knowledge was either betting heavily or telling all of their friends to do so. This type of stuff does occur in our industry, and we obviously can't verify if there was a leak, but the betting action pointed to one."

AT&T, which owns DirecTV and HBO, admits a system error gave some DirecTV Now customers early access to the episode by mistake.

Some betting odds for the final season have already changed after the season's first episode.

Jaime Lannister's odds to die first moved from 50/1 to 6/1 ... and the site's no longer taking bets on him killing his sister, Cersei Lannister. Entering the season, Jaime was the favorite to kill the Queen with 3/2 odds.

Jon Snow is now favored to sit on the Iron Throne at season's end with 5/2 odds, while the previously-favored Bran Stark saw his odds double from 2/1 to 4/1.